Baseband Unit Pooling with Centralized Scheduler
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment of 5G wireless communication systems requires a denser network due to higher frequency signals having shorter ranges and poorer penetration, leading to increased capital and operational costs, particularly for baseband units that communicate data between radio access network nodes and the core network.
Innovation Solution
A disaggregated baseband unit model with centralized scheduling, where baseband units are deployed on demand based on actual or anticipated demand, using commercial off-the-shelf platforms and always-on distributed units to manage resources efficiently, reducing the need for unnecessary baseband units and optimizing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If 5G networks use higher frequency signals to provide faster speeds and reduced latency, then service quality is improved, but signal range and penetration are reduced requiring denser deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The baseband unit is divided into multiple functional modules (scheduler, resource managers, baseband processors, etc.) that can be independently deployed and scaled. This segmentation allows the network to deploy only the necessary functional components in each location, reducing the density of full baseband units while maintaining high-speed service coverage through strategic placement of distributed unit instances.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized scheduler and resource managers can serve multiple distributed units simultaneously, allowing a single centralized control instance to manage resources across multiple high-frequency cell sites. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate baseband units at each location while maintaining the ability to provide fast service across dense deployments.
2Area of stationary object
If baseband units are deployed densely to cover the same service area, then service coverage is improved, but capital and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple distributed units can be logically combined under a single centralized scheduler and resource management instance. This merging allows the network to provide wide service coverage by coordinating multiple high-frequency cells through shared control functions, reducing the total number of independent baseband units required compared to traditional dense deployment architectures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically allocates and deallocates distributed unit instances based on actual traffic demand. During high-traffic periods, additional distributed units can be activated to expand coverage and capacity. During low-traffic periods, distributed units can be deactivated or consolidated, reducing the effective number of baseband units in operation and lowering operational costs while maintaining coverage capability.
3Reliability
If baseband units are always deployed to ensure coverage, then service availability is improved, but energy consumption increases due to underutilization
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic assessment of traffic demand and dynamically adjusts the activation state of distributed units accordingly. Rather than continuously operating all baseband units, the system periodically evaluates whether full capacity is needed and scales operations up or down, maintaining service availability when needed while reducing energy consumption during periods of lower demand.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized resource managers automatically monitor traffic conditions and make real-time decisions about activating or deactivating distributed unit instances without manual intervention. This self-service capability ensures service availability is maintained through automatic scaling, while eliminating the need for over-provisioning that would otherwise be required to guarantee coverage, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is centralized scheduling of baseband unit resources of a hub, including allocating and deallocating baseband unit resources of a distributed unit instance based on anticipated and/or actual demand for the resources. For example, when user equipment transitions to a connected state, a corresponding message can be detected and used to determine whether sufficient baseband unit resources exist to handle the traffic of the newly connecting user equipment. If not, additional baseband unit resources are allocated, coupled to a node (cell), and the node scheduled to handle the user equipment traffic. When user equipment transitions to an inactive state, the corresponding command can be detected and used to determine whether the baseband unit resources are still needed for other traffic. If not, the baseband unit resources are deallocated.